A Cursed Human
by redemption2
Summary: Fallen victim to a Level Three's trick, Allen's life is forced to change. If he survives is something that only time will be able to tell. Darkfic.
1. Chapter 1

A Cursed Human…

By redemption2

"Crown Belt!" Allen Walker called out as his Innocence exploded outward into a web.

"Heh!" The Level Three Akuma chuckled in its distorted voice as it disappeared into the darkness, the rock pillars taking the blow.

"He's fast." Allen said as he closed his good eye, letting his cursed eye activate. "But I can still see… uh?!" It came for him without hesitation, opening its mouth wide. He blocked it with his black armored arm as the creature bit down.

"Allen-kun!" Lenalee gasped from down below.

"Eh! Allen!" Lavi rushed next to her after plowing through a Level Two with his hammer.

"You bastard. Just what type are you?" Allen deadlocked against the strong demon.

"Light Armor Type. Made for speed and attack. Kill you."

"Don't be so sure of that! Cross Grave!" He made a symbol with his white hand and pressed it against the Akuma's chestplate. The gray light appeared as the demon released and flapped back into the darkness.

"He's faster than Allen's attacks!" Lavi grunted. "That means mine are useless against him too."

"If only my legs were working…." Lenalee tensed her muscles against the bandages. "Innocence…."

Allen looked deep into the darkness. "I can't believe that an Akuma could become a Level Three by just hiding! You would have had to kill a lot to become this strong!"

"Killed many. Many more die still. Even when dead, still more die."

"You're saying that more will die even if I destroy you? Then your ability is a type of slow poison."

"Hehehe. Poison? Yes, poison. What it is."

"Care to test your ability on me then? Let's see how an Innocence stands up to your poison."

"Yes. Exorcist poisoned. Hehehe!" The demon leapt out of the shadow onto one of the black stone pillars. A giant eye opened on its head plate. "Behold, poison of mind!" A thread of purple light emerged from his eye, and before the Crown Clown's visor could slide down, it entered his cursed eye.

Allen's jaw fell open in a silent scream as his human eye rolled into his head. His innocence kept him hanging there. "Allen-kun! Allen-kun!"

"I curse you!" A voice echoed in the darkness, then searing pain, and the red of blood.

"My curse." Allen stood in the blackness, blood running down his left cheek.

"Your curse." A skull with a spiral on it appeared behind him.

"Mana…." The boy sighed, not even having to look behind him.

"Was the curse justified?"

"It was. I sinned, and this is the penance I pay."

Mana's skull passed in front of him. "Good boy." It backed away. "However…."

Commander Komui appeared in front of him. "A cursed human will never be happy."

"Is this justified?"

"If that is the penalty… I will meet it." Allen lowered his head. "If someday I am forgiven, then so be it."

"Should you be forgiven?"

"That's not for me to decide."

"Do you believe that you will be forgiven?"

"That's not for me to decide."

"What do you believe?"

"That you gave me this curse for a purpose."

"What purpose?"

"To fight with my innocence, for the sake of humans and demons. To save them all and bring them into harmony." His arms were suddenly covered in his black and white innocence, and they crossed over his chest as he closed his eyes.

"That makes you satisfied."

"Yes."

"And achieving that will make you happy."

"Yes."

"THEN YOU ARE WRONG!" Mana's skull, shadowed by the Level Three's face boomed.

"Eh?" Allen looked up, stunned.

"A cursed human can never be happy! That is the rule! By achieving your goal and becoming happy, you will be in violation of that rule!"

"Then…" Allen's arms slumped down to his sides as he went to his knees. "That means I've been wrong this entire time?"

"Correct."

"Then why?! Why did you give me this curse, Mana?! Why did you curse me, who had the Innocence?!"

Mana's skull turned around and backed up into his head. His demon eye activated. "What do you see?"

"Demons… I can see their trapped souls. The people who gave into the Earl. I can see where they are, and my eye throbs when it begs me to go to them!" Both of Allen's eyes opened. "Masaka!"

"Correct. You are not supposed to go to the demons. You are to bear the agony as you live with humans."

"Then my innocence…"

"Was never to be used."

Allen's heart stopped, and his body hit the invisible floor, shattering it as he continued to pitfall. "It can't be…" He whispered. "Then what… is my purpose?"

The demon eye deactivated, and Mana's skull emerged, turning around and looking at him, matching his speed in the fall. "Now what do you see?"

His human eye looked down at the ground below him, at the people who were mouthing his name as they looked up. "Lenalee… Lavi…."

"Who there has undergone suffering?"

His arm weakly pointed towards the girl. "She's always…. Forced into the Order, victim of the deaths of others."

"She suffered because of you too."

Allen nodded. "Road's doll, my death, her lost Innocence, drawn into the Ark…." Tears flowed from him as images from her recent past flew by him. "All were my fault."

"A cursed human…."

"Can never be happy. And avoiding the true meaning of my curse makes her suffer."

"Now you know what you must do."

Allen nodded. "I will sacrifice myself…."

Lenalee wiped the tears off of her cheek. "ALLEN-KUN!" She gritted her teeth. "Innocence HATSUDOU!"

"No, don't! Lenalee!" Lavi gasped as the green crystal began to spread from her heels. "It's going to go out of control again!"

"For Allen's sake, I won't let you control me! I won't live in fear!" She closed her eyes as the crystal reached her neck. "DAI SAN KAIHOU!" The crystal shattered, sending shards flying into the lesser demons as she forced her boots to reform in its third level.

"Egh… GUAH!" The force proved too much for Lavi as he was blown back until he plunged his hammer into the ground.

Lenalee crouched before leaping up, giving the demon a swift kick to the chin. "GuRAGH!" The demon broke contact, and Allen fell to the ground, his innocence returning to standby. The Akuma leapt back into the darkness.

"You're not getting away! Lavi! Wood Seal!"

"Ueh?" He quickly lifted his hammer into the air, and slammed it into the trigram. "Wood Seal! Wind!" A cyclone spread out from the impact zone.

"Dark Boots: Waltz of Starlight!" Lenalee's boots sent blinding slashes of light into the cyclone, lighting up the darkness.

"Eh? Eh?" The demon looked around. "What is this?"

"Your end! Sonic Waltz of Destruction!" Lenalee spun faster than the speed of sound, drilling her heel and toe into the demon's chest.

"Not ended! Mind rots! Will never save! Exorcist finished! Hahahaha!" It was his last cry before the soul inside him was released and sent to heaven.

"Allen! Allen!" Lavi ran up to the boy and picked him off the floor. He was completely limp and unresponsive.

"Allen-kun!" Lenalee landed beside him, but her legs gave out. "Damn it… I wasn't ready. Allen-kun, please say something!" She looked into his good eye, completely glassed over. She bit her lip.

"Lenalee…." He whispered, taking them both by surprise. "What can I do… to make you happy?" He gave as big a smile as he could muster, even though his eye was still glazed.

To be continued?


	2. Chapter 2

A Cursed Human… 2

Bookman Archive

Observational Report

Subject: Allen Walker

Observer: Bookman-in-training "Lavi"

Location: Dark Order Main Headquarters

"What can I do to make you happy?" It was the first thing out of his mouth after being released from the Level Three Akuma's special ability. In hindsight, perhaps if we had chosen her answer more carefully, we could have avoided some of this. She replied to him in tears, "Nothing would make me happier than you being alive."

This is my observational report on subject Allen Walker, who was recently subject to a Level Three Akuma's special ability. This ability is one we have never faced until now, and I have been assigned to learn of its effects on the subject.

"What can I do to make you happy?" It was always that question that started his day, and whenever he spoke to Lenalee. We both noticed it, the instant change in his demeanor, his desire to be next to her, and to do exactly what was asked of him. He said he only wanted her smile as payment, and that was enough alone to make her giggle, but deep down inside we knew something was very wrong.

As I observed, I instructed her to answer him in kind, giving him things to do that would make her happy. Everyone knows that she deserves it after everything she's been through in life. So he cooked for her, bought her things, and even carried her around as her legs recovered, with not so much as a whimper or a gripe on the way back to HQ. I also instructed her to ask something fantastical of him once, to see what his reaction would be. As I feared, he bungee jumped from that church steeple without a moment's hesitation, and yes, hitting every shingle on the way down. The next day he asked again what would please her, as if nothing happened.

Returning to the Dark Order, his behavior had worsened. He defied every order that Commander Komui made, saying that going out to fight would not please Lenalee. It's true it wouldn't have, but with Allen being one of our toughest fighters, we are in mortal danger if he doesn't fight. He has secluded himself, cutting himself off from everyone and everything that didn't matter to the task at hand: pleasing Lenalee. Even when I attempted to approach him, his response was "If you have something to say, say it when I have time. I'm busy." When all he was doing was waiting for a cake he was baking her to come out of the oven.

All of the attention he gave Lenalee obviously angered Commander Komui. But between his tears, his steaming anger, and his pulling his hair out, I was able to explain the situation. Though it still vexes him, I believe he truly understands the situation, as Walker's current mentality and his own are similar. What worries me is Lenalee herself. Her demands are becoming more difficult to complete, and sometimes almost contradictory to each other. "He wants to do it. If it makes him happy, let him! If I get some pampering out of it, then all the better! I finally get something in my life that isn't horrible!" Was her response when I confronted her.

The physical change in Walker has become rather fearsome. He always was thin and lanky, but it looks like he hasn't been eating or eating enough. I doubt he's bathed in over a week, and his hair has become unkempt and long. On rare occasions, if you can see past his bangs, he also has very dark circles under his eyes. To investigate that particular aspect, I stayed in front of his door for three nights. Each night, painful screams uttered from his mouth in the middle of the night. What is going on in there I cannot guess, because I refuse to invade his privacy with a Camera Golem, and whatever is happening is either too horrible to show or Timcanpy refuses to record.

The golden golem has also noticed his downward spiral, and has been coming to me and Lenalee for support. Recently he showed me a tape of Allen talking to himself in the mirror. The transcript is included as an attachment to this report. After watching the original, I can only conclude one thing. This poison… this mental poison the demon spoke of… is infecting every fiber of his being, and he is slowly, very slowly, dying.

The board has asked me to create a threat assessment as well as some theoretical cures to his condition. For the former I conclude that in his current state, he is in no danger to anyone other than himself. As long as Lenalee is content with what he does for her, the status quo will be maintained. However, due to his extreme loyalty towards her, if she ever says that she hates the Dark Order, he would forsake us all in a heartbeat. And I wouldn't even dare imagine what would happen if he realizes that what he does for her only temporarily appeases her.

As for a cure, nothing medicinal will be able to fix his condition. Only some type of psychiatric treatment would work. However since that would not only take him away from serving Lenalee, and due to his current separationist nature, he will be near impossible to evaluate. Due to his strength, forcing him to face the harsh reality may wind up hurting himself and others. Until a full evaluation can be made by a psychological professional, it would be best to preserve his life by letting him continue. Any measures taken before then could shorten his life even further.

I have instructed Lenalee to give him less difficult tasks, and for her to request his hygiene to improve to give us more time. However, as he slips further and further into servitude, there is less time for him to be himself, and he is losing his individuality. He still refuses to fight, and will only use his Innocence to defend himself. Allen Walker cannot be on the active list until he is cured of this poison that is rotting him from the inside out.

On a personal note, as one who used to be considered a friend to Allen Walker, it pains me to see him like this. Please stop the observation experiment and put all full resources on a cure. We cannot lose Allen Walker to this.

Attachment:

Recorded Video Golem Transcript

Location: Dark Order Men's Lavatory

Time: 5:00 AM Monday.

(Walker looks into the mirror, lifting up a pair of scissors.)

Walker: You're in my way.

(Pause)

Walker: Because she said it will make her happy.

(Pause)

Walker: I don't need you telling me what I already know!

(Pause)

Walker: It's what she wants from me! Why are you so hell bent on stopping me?!

(Pause)

Walker: Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!

(Walker slams his fist into the mirror and it shatters.)

Walker: Kuso. I'm going to have to get it cut by a barber instead.

To be continued?


End file.
